Maurice J. Tobin
Encyclopedia
Maurice Joseph Tobin was a Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, the 56th Governor
of the U.S. state
of Massachusetts
, and U.S. Secretary of Labor
.
Tobin was born in Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
to James Tobin, a carpenter, and Margaret Daly. He was the eldest of four children including Timothy F. (b.1902), Margaret M. (b.1905) and James G. (b. 1907). He graduated from Boston College
and worked for Conway Leather and New England Telephone
, before entering politics as a protege of the legendary James Michael Curley
. Tobin was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
at the age of 25, serving from 1927 to 1929. In November 1932 he married Helen Noonan of Brighton, Massachusetts, with whom he had three children. He served on the Boston School Committee from 1931 to 1937, before shocking the political establishment by defeating Curley in the 1937 race for Mayor of Boston.
He served as Mayor from 1938 to 1945, during which time he advocated the Fair Employment Practices Bill, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, creed, and national origin in hiring or promotion practices. During his tenure as mayor, the Cocoanut Grove fire
occurred in Boston. Prior to the fire, club owner Barney Welansky boasted that that club had not needed to adhere to fire codes because Tobin would not permit his club to be closed. Welansky was convicted of manslaughter, and Tobin himself only narrowly escaped indictment. Four years into Welansky's sentence, now-Governor Tobin pardoned him. In 1944, Tobin was elected Governor, and served two years from 1945 to 1947. His administration was marked by efforts to increase the benefits of unemployment insurance and workers compensation. He is also credited with the creation of Massport
. In 1946, he was defeated for re-election by his Lieutenant Governor, Robert F. Bradford
.
Governor Tobin remained active in Democratic politics, however, and campaigned vigorously for President Truman
in 1948. Upon Truman's election, Tobin was appointed as U.S. Secretary of Labor, a position he held from 1948 to 1953. Shortly after he left his position as Labor Secretary, Governor Tobin died of a heart attack
on July 19, 1953. He is buried in Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts
.
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and U.S. Secretary of Labor
United States Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
.
Tobin was born in Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
Mission Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
Mission Hill is a 3/4 square mile neighborhood of Boston, with the population of approximately 18,000 people.The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Columbus Avenue and the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury to the east, Longwood Avenue to the northeast and the Olmsted designed Riverway/Jamaicaway and...
to James Tobin, a carpenter, and Margaret Daly. He was the eldest of four children including Timothy F. (b.1902), Margaret M. (b.1905) and James G. (b. 1907). He graduated from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and worked for Conway Leather and New England Telephone
New England Telephone
The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, more commonly known as New England Telephone, was a Bell Operating Company that served most of the New England area of the United States as a part of the original AT&T for seven decades, from the creation of the national monopoly in 1907 until...
, before entering politics as a protege of the legendary James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
. Tobin was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
at the age of 25, serving from 1927 to 1929. In November 1932 he married Helen Noonan of Brighton, Massachusetts, with whom he had three children. He served on the Boston School Committee from 1931 to 1937, before shocking the political establishment by defeating Curley in the 1937 race for Mayor of Boston.
He served as Mayor from 1938 to 1945, during which time he advocated the Fair Employment Practices Bill, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, creed, and national origin in hiring or promotion practices. During his tenure as mayor, the Cocoanut Grove fire
Cocoanut Grove fire
The Cocoanut Grove was Boston's premier nightclub during the post-Prohibition 1930s and 40s. On November 28, 1942, occurred the scene of what remains the deadliest nightclub fire, killing 492 people and injuring hundreds more...
occurred in Boston. Prior to the fire, club owner Barney Welansky boasted that that club had not needed to adhere to fire codes because Tobin would not permit his club to be closed. Welansky was convicted of manslaughter, and Tobin himself only narrowly escaped indictment. Four years into Welansky's sentence, now-Governor Tobin pardoned him. In 1944, Tobin was elected Governor, and served two years from 1945 to 1947. His administration was marked by efforts to increase the benefits of unemployment insurance and workers compensation. He is also credited with the creation of Massport
Massachusetts Port Authority
Massachusetts Port Authority, or Massport, is a port district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It operates seaports and airports in eastern and central Massachusetts, mainly the Port of Boston. Its headquarters is located in the Logan Office Center, adjacent to Logan Airport in East Boston,...
. In 1946, he was defeated for re-election by his Lieutenant Governor, Robert F. Bradford
Robert F. Bradford
Robert Fiske Bradford was an American politician who served one term as the 57th Governor of Massachusetts, from 1947 to 1949.-Biography:...
.
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in 1948. Upon Truman's election, Tobin was appointed as U.S. Secretary of Labor, a position he held from 1948 to 1953. Shortly after he left his position as Labor Secretary, Governor Tobin died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on July 19, 1953. He is buried in Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
.
Legacies
- A men's dormitory facility on the Long Island Hospital campus on Long IslandLong Island (Massachusetts)This article is about the island Long Island, Boston. For other islands called Long Island, see Long Island .Long Island is situated in the middle of Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The island is part of the City of Boston, and of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area...
in Boston HarborPort of BostonThe Port of Boston, , is a major seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston...
is dedicated to Tobin. The Tobin Building's cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1940. - In 1967, the Mystic River Bridge was renamed the Maurice J. Tobin Memorial BridgeTobin BridgeThe Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that spans more than two miles from Charlestown to Chelsea over the Mystic River in Massachusetts. The bridge is the largest in New England...
. - An elementary school is named after Tobin in the Mission Hill neighborhood of BostonMission Hill, Boston, MassachusettsMission Hill is a 3/4 square mile neighborhood of Boston, with the population of approximately 18,000 people.The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Columbus Avenue and the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury to the east, Longwood Avenue to the northeast and the Olmsted designed Riverway/Jamaicaway and...
, where he was born. - The Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts AmherstUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstThe University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
is located in Tobin Hall, a building named for Governor Tobin.
Further reading
- Vincent A. Lapomarda. Maurice Joseph Tobin: The Decline of Bossism in Boston. New England Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Sep., 1970)